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By Marie Racewicz on November 23, 2021Categories: Construction While the AEC industry was a slow adopter initially, innovative firms adopt AEC technology more strategically. Popular solutions are seen as dynamic elements that are key to economic survival. Many construction firms are adopting technology to improve communication and streamline processes. By using the cloud, construction firms can connect their various departments and improve their productivity. With offices in Iowa and Minnesota, Knutson Construction has a reputation for being an example of a tech-forward firm. Katie Montag, the firm’s virtual design and construction leader, says that being able to look ahead and anticipating changes is a key component of her role. In her assessment of solutions, her goal was to help Knutson improve its productivity and reduce risk by developing solutions that can use building information modeling. Through real-world testing, teams can identify areas where improvements can be made and learn what works best for their clients. This process helps them identify potential issues that their clients may not be aware of and adopt AEC technology with ease. When it comes to identifying benefits, a return on coordination solutions can be easily realised on complex projects, such as hospitals and buildings. For instance, with BIM Collaborate, a project manager can easily collaborate with the owner to provide data and visualisations for training. “We leverage BIM Collaborate to make sure that we have all of those systems in place and make the data and visualisations available for training on the owner’s side,” Montag says. “After handover, they retain all of that information that they can now use for monitoring the building or scheduling maintenance.” Encouraging adoption was key for Knutson. The company’s virtual design and construction team uses technology to help clients realise their goals. But, in order to get the most out of the solutions, its staffers have to use them face to face. They also have to be able to provide training that’s focused on savings and soft costs. Read the Success Story HERE.

By Michael Drost on February 3, 2022Categories: Construction, General Worried about hiring more staff in 2022? Get in line. But don’t fret. Cloud technology in construction can do more than just help firms win and complete projects. It can also elevate your brand above the competition so you can recruit and retain the talent you need to get the job done. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some 4.3 million workers quit their jobs in December, 2021, while at least 4 million workers resigned each month during the second half of 2021. This “Great Resignation” affects all industries, from those with traditionally high turnover like hospitality and food service, to healthcare, transportation, utilities, and of course, construction. Though having such a large pool of available talent sounds like a good thing, workers realise they have more leverage to demand better pay, benefits and flexible schedules. And since construction is an industry notorious for physically intensive work, compressed work schedules and job sites in remote locations, firms will find recruiting these workers to be somewhat of a challenge. Combine this reality with the flood of new construction spending slated to start this year thanks to the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the already stressed labor demand-supply ratio in construction is bound to worsen. According to a new survey by the Associated General Contractors of America, 74 percent of member firms plan to add to their payrolls in 2022, with expectations of expansion in multiple markets including transit, rail and airport projects, multifamily residential housing, and healthcare facilities. So how can construction companies leverage cloud technology to elevate their brand and attract a new generation of loyal, skilled workers? Here are four ways cloud technology in construction can help firms find and retain new talent. Work from anywhere Signing bonuses and paid time off are not the only ways to entice new workers. Sometimes just knowing that they can do their job from anywhere will be what fits the bill. With solutions like the Autodesk Construction Cloud allowing teams to connect and manage all design, pre-construction, construction and operations workflows on one platform, it is now easier than ever to connect workers in the field and office, wherever the office is. Reduce time spent on site Every minute spent on a job site is time spent away from one’s family and friends. In addition, construction continues to be one among the world’s most dangerous professions. So it's no wonder reducing time spent in the field is a critical ask for new construction hires. Luckily, the combination of BIM and cloud technology can seamlessly connect the design and construction side of a project. This helps firms address clash detection issues before they happen and reduces the time it takes to safely get the job done. For workers who value their time away from a job site, this is a huge benefit. Improve efficiency and reduce costs Construction teams are complex, and each new member of a project team adds new capabilities and skillsets. They also add new costs and potentially new risk. The advent of the cloud allows teams to share complex information and collaborate in real time. Automated machine learning and AI algorithms can analyse critical project data, identify important trends, and flag risk factors before they become more costly problems down the road. By connecting data, workflows and teams, firms can engage in informed decision making that supports predictability, reduces risk, and ultimately increase profits. With less resources being spent on waste, firms will have more to offer in terms of salaries, bonuses, and other benefits workers want. Eliminate the stigma of working ‘in construction’ Let’s face it, the construction industry has a long and difficult history combating stereotypes regarding exactly who a construction worker is. Fixing this is not just a matter of social justice or equity. Good data collection has become a focus across much of the industry to improve safety and reduce costs, and firms will need to cast a wide net to recruit tech-oriented workers who live by and understand data. These are workers who skew younger and possess skillsets the industry needs, but who may not see construction as their first choice. By investing in the latest construction technology solutions, companies will be in a better position to attract a younger and more diverse workforce. To find out how construction technology can elevate your brand, schedule a professional assessment here.

By Perla Lozano on February 3, 2022Categories: Construction, General No two construction firms have the same requirements, and requirements often change, but Construction Technology Director Matthew Cordova knows what keeps his projects competitive. “Autodesk tech is our lifeblood here,” says Cordova of Hermanson Co., a Kent, Wash.- based firm specialising in mechanical systems construction, design-build engineering, lean fabrication and maintenance services. Far from being a static endeavour, adoption of Autodesk , Autodesk Build and other solutions is a dynamic process that requires regular evaluation, Cordova says. Despite accelerated industry use of project management and associated software, demand for these solutions won’t slow down any time soon across architectural, engineering and construction sectors. Instead, demand will compound, especially as new tech proves it's worth at firms such as Hermanson, where Cordova ensures software is leveraged to boost performance and profitability. U.S. CAD is the firm’s technology partner, and provided it with reality-capture technology and production services including coordination and Revit modeling, as well as guidance on Autodesk construction technology solutions, such as Autodesk Build, training and implementation. “Autodesk tech is our lifeblood here.” Construction Technology Director, Matthew Cordova U.S. CAD worked with Cordova to ensure smooth transitions. Every workflow was reimagined without disrupting day-to-day operations including but not limited to existing workflows in BIM 360 and PlanGrid. Hermanson is now planning a similar transition with Autodesk Build. Read the full story to learn how U.S. CAD provided an easier transition to remote work, improved visualisation and coordination across departments, helped optimize clash detection and deviation analysis and improved their processes automation and accuracy. With so many clear benefits, firms might consider a simple copy-and-paste approach to their technology strategies, but that would be a mistake. Partnering with a full stack partner like U.S. CAD will ensure that a strategic approach will be put in place for your firm’s success. Here’s a sneak peak at the technology and Autodesk solutions used at Hermanson >>> BIM COLLABORATE PRO CAMDUCT POINT LAYOUT FABRICATION ESTMEP AEC COLLECTION AutoCAD: Software supporting 2D and 3D CAD, including specialised tool sets and apps. Revit: Multidisciplinary BIM software to plan, design, construct and manage buildings. Navisworks Manage: Advanced solution for clash detection and coordination, 5D analysis and simulation software. ReCap Pro: Reality-capture and 3D-scanning software and services. Civil 3D: Engineering, design and construction documentation software designed specifically for civil engineers. InfraWorks: Civil structure conceptual design and analysis software Read Story HERE

By Jonathan Lindblom on February 4, 2022Categories: Civil Infrastructure Project Explorer provides many benefits beyond the standard version of Civil 3D. Included in the AEC Collection and available for Civil 3D 2022, Project Explorer allows the user to view and analyse Civil 3D model data such as alignments, corridors, and pipe networks in a single location. The customisable interface provides both a graphical view and a grid view of datasets. The user is able to generate custom reports and tables using a variety of formats where report and tables styles can be saved and used for future use. Transform how you navigate visualise, and interact with infrastructure design models in Civil 3D. Project Explorer benefits include: Easily navigate through data and design model editing. Review design criteria warnings to help meet design standards. Generate custom reports and tables to help meet delivery specifications. Watch U.S. CAD Senior Technical Specialist Douglas Benoit, P.E. demonstrate flattening pipes efficiently using one of many features included with Project Explorer in our latest Infrastructure Tuesday webinar. Access the Civil 3D Project Explorer tool exclusively through the AEC Collection available here.

By Jonathan Lindblom on February 17, 2022Categories: Civil Infrastructure Engineers Week, which began 71 years ago by the National Society of Professional Engineers, is dedicated to boosting awareness of and interest in engineering and technology careers to ensure a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce. This week, we’re spotlighting some of our civil engineering superstars. Their industry and technology expertise combined with customer collaboration on projects make modern life possible. Meet the team! KaDe King, Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government “Live life with passion! Feel joy in your work, your family, and yourself.” - KaDe King, Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government KaDe King is a Senior Technical Specialist and Training Center Manager at U.S. CAD. Before becoming an Autodesk Certified Instructor and joining U.S. CAD, KaDe worked for five years as a mapping technician in the natural gas industry. KaDe has been using Autodesk products since 1987 and has provided training since 1993. In her role, KaDe delivers training for all levels of AutoCAD, Map 3D, and Civil 3D, and provides technical support, consulting CAD management services, and Autodesk licensing and deployment services, such as deployment builds, license server setups and updates, license file merging, and license configuration). KaDe excels in relating to the individuals in her training classes and provides a memorable training experience by developing dedicated and custom training courses that fulfill each client’s needs. Aaron Powell, Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government “To teach someone a new skill and watch them become successful can be just as gratifying as your own success.” - Aaron Powell, Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government Aaron Powell is a Senior Technical Specialist at U. S. CAD with more than 20 years of experience in the civil engineering, planning, and surveying fields. Aaron’s experience in civil engineering has been dynamic and varied – from managing industry professionals, field personnel, trade subcontractors to providing oversight to consultants, vendors, architects, engineers, and surveyors. In addition, he has directed complex land developments and entitlement projects, supervised residential and commercial projects, and operated large engineering facilities. Ron Couillard, Technical Consultant, Infrastructure & Government “I am blessed to have a career that some people would see as more of a high-tech hobby than a job.” - Ron Couillard, Technical Consultant, Infrastructure & Government Ron Couillard brings more than 20 years of civil infrastructure industry experience to his current role. He enjoys providing clients with technology solutions and hardware recommendations to help solve their complex project and business needs. In prior positions in the field, Ron served as a CAD Manager and Senior Civil Designer at several engineering firms to address challenges unique to the civil infrastructure industry. Doug Benoit, P.E., Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government “A well-established set of company standards makes using your design software easier.” - Doug Benoit, P.E., Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government Doug Benoit brings more than 25 years of civil engineering experience to the technical team at U.S. CAD. His previous experience includes 13 years of gathering real-world experience as a design/project engineer at a consulting firm in St. Paul, Minnesota. Doug thoroughly enjoys assisting customers with training, mentoring, content creation, writing technical guides, and technical support. Michael Gaines, Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government “Above all, stand fast in your word and integrity. In the end, there is nothing else.” - Michael Gaines, Senior Technical Specialist, Infrastructure & Government Michael Gaines brings more than 18 years of experience in drafting/design, graphical-related work to his role at U.S. CAD. His experience includes drafting, design, and graphical representation on a wide variety of civil, planning, surveying, and construction management projects for both the public and private sectors. Michael’s humble demeanor and experience in the office and field have provided him with the knowledge and expertise to successfully lead and manage his teams and organisations. In addition, his leadership style has proven to be an honest and encouraging approach to mentoring and training, providing consistent and positive repeatable results. Ted Moberg, Senior Technical Specialist, Reality Capture “Whether I’m teaching one client or a hundred, getting them the information they need to make their job easier and seeing the light go on when the information clicks, is priceless.” - Ted Moberg, Senior Technical Specialist, Reality Capture Ted Moberg has more than 25 years of experience in CAD management and IT services. Specialising in reality capture, Leica solutions, and Autodesk and Bluebeam technology, Ted serves as an extension of the U.S. CAD Technical Support Team, assisting with specialised issues related to his areas of expertise. His current responsibilities include training, mentoring, and providing technical support.

By Jonathan Lindblom on February 22, 2022Categories: Civil Infrastructure “I’ll never forget. An article in 1998 proclaiming it’s a 3D world caught my attention.” - Matthew Vega, P.E., Interview – National Director, Infrastructure and Government Business Unit, U.S. CAD – For Engineers Week 2022, I interviewed our very own Matthew Vega. You’ll hear about the state of the infrastructure industry, his 2022 civil technology outlook. What’s your background and your current role at U.S. CAD? I started my career at a civil engineering and survey firm as a draftsperson. Most of the work consisted of large residential subdivisions, public works, and commercial projects. Primarily, land development projects. It was a fun and exciting time to become an engineer using new technologies that helped us complete our work efficiently. Within a couple of years, I became a project manager and always had an affinity for being on the cutting edge of technology. After that, I transitioned to a national architectural and civil engineering firm where we focused primarily on the commercial sector, big-box shopping centers. Again, it was exciting because the advances in technology gave us more tools to accomplish our work faster. Over the years, technology started to change. I’ll never forget. I think it was around 1998 that I read an article that said, “it’s a 3D world, are you designing in it?” I kept it as a reminder of where the industry was going and the available tools. We had all this new technology that started popping up, and with that new technology came Building Information Modeling. The industry morphed, and with that, there were new titles like BIM Manager and then VDC positions. Loving technology, I took a BIM manager position for a civil/survey firm. It was exciting being on the cutting edge of technology, how we use it, how we work with it to create 3D models of the projects. We were actually designing in a 3D world. From the BIM Manager role, I accepted a position as a Regional Director for a national firm specialising in environmental, architectural, and civil. I suppose that brings us to today and my position at U.S. CAD as National Director for Infrastructure and Government. A large part of my role includes keeping a pulse on new technology and monitoring the industry’s direction. It’s key to preparing our customers for disruptive technologies that present themselves. Our goal is not only to stay on the cutting edge of technology but also to evangelise the practicalities with a pragmatic approach to our customers on how they can use these technologies for efficiency gains and save stakeholders money. I truly enjoy my position here because we can unleash our clients’ potential and empower them to achieve more. What trends are you currently seeing in the infrastructure and government space given your 2022 civil technology outlook? I hear a lot from our customers and the industry at large that there is a need for the automation of repetitive tasks. Certain tasks involved in the design of an infrastructure project can often be repetitive, and it takes valuable time and resources to complete. I see an increasing need for automation for efficiency gains. We can achieve this using customised scripting and tools like Dynamo within Civil 3D. Another trend is around staffing. Most of my colleagues I’ve spoken to are having difficulty finding qualified candidates to fill critical positions within their firms. I believe we as an industry need to address and inspire the next generation of engineers and surveyors to choose civil engineering and surveying as a profession. In my 2022 civil technology outlook, other trends revolve around the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). That’s going to have a considerable impact on the industry. I see the effects reaching into bridges, roadways, and water/wastewater. Many of our bridges are in poor shape and will need to be retrofitted. How are we going to do that? How are we going to do that efficiently, effectively? We have a lot of technology out there, cutting-edge technology that can help us do that in a timely fashion. I believe there will be significant investments also going to our roadways, water, and wastewater. It’s a little early to thoroughly understand the impact the IIJA will have on the infrastructure community. Still, we’re certainly keeping our ear to the ground to keep our customers well informed of what it means for their businesses. Those are probably the three most significant trends I’m currently seeing: automation, staffing, and the IIJA. How do you see the industry changing in the next 10 years? This is a tricky one. If I only had a crystal ball! Technology is advancing every day. One disruptive technology that immediately comes to mind is the more widespread use of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) for surveying and capturing reality in our designs and as-built conditions. LiDAR has had a positive impact on the industry. We have LiDAR on drones, and some DOTs are using mobile LiDAR on their vehicles to capture information quickly in a less feasible and much more time-consuming way. I also see combining LiDAR captured data in augmented and virtual reality. There’s also much talk about digital delivery and using a model as a legal document (MALD). Although widespread acceptance is still in its infancy, I believe we have the technology to do it today, but I see the industry moving toward this in the next 10 years. First, we will need to educate the entire industry, owners included, of what this means for them and how we will deliver a project digitally. That’s coming sooner than later, probably in the next two to five years. Down the line, it will become the new norm. It’s going to be a massive paradigm shift because we’re all accustomed to delivering designs on either a 2D plan set or by PDF. The FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) is championing digital delivery and aims to speed up the delivery of highway projects and address the challenges presented by limited budgets. They have the “Every Day Counts” (EDC) initiative, which is federal funding to help make design and delivery more efficient. It’s a big part of their 2022 civil technology outlook. It’s really inspiring and moving the industry in a way to help deliver projects faster using the tools that we currently have. In 10 years, we’re going to see a lot more electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles. There’s going to be a push in Infrastructure for charging stations, but more importantly, we will have to have highways in mint condition for autonomous vehicles. Striping on lanes will have to cater to autonomous vehicles to understand their surroundings, requiring cameras to navigate. We must do everything we can as Civil Engineers and roadway designers to help these autonomous vehicles get to where they are going safely. Asset management also plays a huge factor, and I think there will be a heavier emphasis in the years to come. Often projects are more expensive simply due to not maintaining and expanding the life cycle of our roadways, water systems, sewer systems, and storm drain systems. Asset Management Plans provide insight into expenditures and provide owners with the information they need to make well-informed decisions. Smart cities are on the horizon to exchange information and communicate to increase operational efficiency. For example, if a storm drain fails or a water system fails, the response time is hopefully immediate so that somebody knows within real-time. Some of our water systems are aging and need to be maintained or replaced before a failure occurs. I think we’re going to see more smart cities with asset management plans to budget costs and avoid issues becoming larger problems. As far as your 2022 civil technology outlook, what technologies do you think will provide firms a competitive advantage moving forward? Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology allows us to quickly survey and capture our surroundings. Some of these devices can collect more than 2 million to sometimes 6 million points per second. It blows my mind how fast we can collect that data compared to traditional surveying methods. LiDAR has been a disruptive technology within the last 10 years or so. From a field perspective, firms gain a competitive advantage if they can go out and collect large amounts of accurate data within minutes. The next will be real-time feedback from the field, lending a competitive advantage. Firms that can collect the data and expeditiously get it back to the office, hopefully in near real-time, will gain an advantage from a time perspective since the adage “time is money” rings true. The ultimate competitive advantage is about doing more with what you have. A lot of our clients have cutting-edge technology at their fingertips. However, it’s not enough to have; it’s important to optimize your workflows using technology efficiently with a pragmatic approach. The technologies we have are fantastic, but it’s about using them effectively and ensuring that staff can use technology proficiently. That’s where firms really can gain that competitive advantage. Most of the private sector uses Civil 3D. Many firms use the design technologies that their competitors have, so they’re on a level playing field. It comes down to how they’re using the tools. I really enjoy this position here at U.S. CAD because we’re able to educate the industry and help move it forward by working more efficiently and effectively with the tools they already have. That’s really where that competitive advantage comes in. Thinking outside the box with some of the products contained within the Autodesk AEC Collection creates a wide variety of possibilities to perform work more efficiently and collaboratively. The collaboration and coordination between products like Civil 3D, Revit, and InfraWorks are key, as well as working collaboratively through platforms like BIM 360. Maybe five or six years ago, I read an article about a construction company that stated every dollar they spent on technology saved them $6 in the field on one of their projects. That ROI is impressive. If you know a new technology is out there and pondering whether you should invest in that technology and training staff, focus on the ROI. Final question. Do you have any closing thoughts that you’d like to add? I’m excited about where we’re going within the industry. Technology is constantly pushing us to do better and complete projects efficiently. It’s not about using technology for the sake of using technology; it’s about focusing on how technology is used for efficiency gains. At the end of the day, when owners lay their heads down on their pillows at night, they want to know their project is meeting the time and budget constraints and they’re being delivered a high-quality project. At the end of the day, it’s for the benefit and safety of the public. These projects need to be structurally sound. Our roadways need to be safe and efficient. Our infrastructure systems need to be maintained and serve the public safely well. I’m excited to serve the industry and help firms enhance the public experience of our workplaces, travel to, and play. Our job here at U.S. CAD is to make sure firms are prepared by providing them with the technology they need and, more importantly, providing them with the training to be proficient and work more efficiently. Disruptive technologies that are still to come and efficiency gains are really what get me up in the morning. What’s next? How can we use new technology to our benefit, and what impact does that have on our industry to make life more enjoyable for the public?

By Erin Lucian on February 25, 2022Categories: Architecture As an architectural, engineering, and construction services firm, Schemmer Associates prides itself on creative and collaborative relationships to design with purpose and to resolve problems. The firm is best known for its comprehensive scope of services that range from design to construction administration across many market segments in the public and private sectors. For Schemmer, maintaining its high standards of service has required an investment in technology—from building information modeling (BIM) in the office to survey solutions in the field. To make this happen, the firm has partnered with U.S. CAD for more than five years, with U.S. CAD providing Autodesk software and Bluebeam software, along with training and consulting services. Recently, the Schemmer team decided to make an investment in reality capture and worked with their U.S. CAD partners to incorporate 3D laser scanning into its design workflow, with some enterprise-wide benefits. The idea to add reality capture to the Schemmer workflow initially came about as a potential benefit to one of its primary services—space utilization assessments, where knowledge about as-built conditions is essential. The need to collect as-built conditions quicker and more accurately caught the attention of Joshua Murphy, the BIM/CADD Manager at Schemmer. Murphy is responsible for managing the firm’s hardware and software deployment. So when 3D laser scanners emerged as a way to digitally capture existing conditions versus more traditional site visit recordings and paper documentation, he was intrigued. “I had seen the Leica BLK360 laser scanner while attending Autodesk University a few years ago. I asked our U.S. CAD partners about the value of 3D scanners to support design work. Within a few days, they brought one to one of our jobsites to demonstrate the potential benefits. As soon as we had that data from the scanner in our 3D modeling software and saw the level of detail and accuracy of the point cloud, we knew the technology could be an advantage over traditional site visit recording methods.” - Joshua Murphy, BIM/CADD Manager at Schemmer Associates

By Jonathan Lindblom on March 1, 2022Categories: Civil Infrastructure Our very own KaDe King sat down with Tom Temin, host of GovIT, a DLT Podcast, a monthly series dedicated to discussing the next generation of public sector IT solutions with the technology innovators driving the change. Tom and KaDe discussed Autodesk Civil 3D and GIS software, her experiences, and its importance in the civil engineering space. Ms. King, good to have you with us. So, let’s talk about civil engineering and GIS. This is something that goes back some years. What are the contemporary ways GIS is used in civil engineering? GIS is used for project planning by allowing civil engineers and CAD technicians to use GIS data to create existing condition scenarios. For example, that could mean mapping out where existing pipelines are located, street centerlines, property boundaries. But a wide variety of GIS data is available from cities, county states, and government organisations. We must be into a second or third generation of this type of data. In other words, at one time, people walked around mapping existing infrastructure and they would mark it and enter it in spreadsheets and so forth. I imagine now, at installation or at the time of repair, all of that data is recorded and made permanent. Yes, a lot of data is gathered digitally nowadays and shared digitally as well. So, the access to the data is improved greatly. And tell us about Civil 3D. Is that GIS software, is it CAD, or what is it? So, Civil 3D is a little bit of both. It is the GIS software. That’s not its main purpose, but its main purpose, of course, is to build civil engineering data from a variety of sources. But GIS is a big important component of that. The Civil 3D is built on a product called AutoCAD Map, which is built on AutoCAD. So Civil 3D contains the core AutoCAD product in addition to all the functionality of AutoCAD Map. And AutoCAD Map is the GIS component for AutoCAD. It contains the ability to connect to and stylise GIS data sources, as well as the ability to import that data and convert it to CAD format. AutoCAD Map also has the ability to build new GIS data from existing CAD data. In other words, you can take two-dimensional data, that GIS tends to be, and turn it into 3D for purposes, say, of maintenance or of studying structures, that kind of thing? Absolutely. How actually do you create Civil 3D objects from existing GIS data? Is that possible? Yes, so to create, you can create Civil 3D objects from GIS data. There is a nice tool in Civil 3D called Import GIS Data, and that can build pipes and structures, import those, and create pipe networks. You can also bring ArcGIS data, data layers that contain points, lines, and polygons, and bring them into Civil 3D or convert that GIS data into Civil 3D things that are called alignments, feature lines, gravity pipes, parcels, and points or structures. Those are intelligent objects that are 3D model objects. And so, as the nation embarks, presumably on big infrastructure work, there’s a couple of 100 billion dollars there in that bill for actual infrastructure, then, if you have something where you have the GIS data on it, it’s possible to convert that in some way, if you have your CAD drawing somewhere, into something usable for repair, maintenance, upgrade, replacement. And at the same time, if you are designing something, you can create the 3D and the GIS simultaneously for whatever you might need to do in the future? Yeah, that is correct. It’s a great way to, if somebody was designing something new, it gives them a nice base to start with, you know, what the existing conditions look like. It’s basically the planning portion of civil engineering. The GIS data is very easy to access in Civil 3D. In other words, you can export Civil 3D to GIS, working in the opposite way. Yes, you can. So Civil 3D objects like alignments, points, parcels, pipes, and structures can be directly published through… There’s a piece inside of Civil 3D called the ArcGIS Connector, or they can be exported to an SDF, which is a GIS file-based format. And just from a user standpoint, acquisition standpoint, is the software we’re talking about here, Civil 3D, GIS, is this a cloud-hosted application, or do agencies still want it on their own servers? How do they buy it and implement it? Good question. So Civil 3D is a product that’s installed on your local computer. And it’s usually purchased through what we call the AEC Collection through Autodesk. And that AEC Collection contains numerous other products that tie in with Civil 3D, one of those being InfraWorks, which is also a 3D planning software that can take GIS data. Very common workflow to tie in InfraWorks back with Civil 3D to do not only planning but design as well. And then there are other pieces of software that go along with that as well, there are several software pieces in that AEC Collection. But it is installed directly on the user’s computer, and licenses are assigned per user. And so, people that are familiar with the AutoCAD programs and so on, then this is something they’ll be able to simply use, it sounds like. Yes, they will. If you’re already familiar with AutoCAD, learning Civil 3D is just kind of the next jump up. And learning how to use the GIS features within that is just another short time of training to kind of figure out what workflow you need to use.

By Michael Drost on March 4, 2022Categories: Construction Are you curious as to when contractors can expect inflation to stop eating up their profits? Or how construction technology solutions can help reduce costs and improve productivity when qualified workers are increasingly hard to find? Then you’ve come to the right place. In our two-part series on the 2022 U.S. Construction Technology Outlook, we conduct a deep dive into some key industry trends, as well as provide a contractor’s view on how construction technology solutions like Autodesk Build can help companies keep a competitive edge in 2022. In part one of our series, we take a look at some key economic data and predictions identified by Ken Simonson, Chief Economist of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), during a recent Construction Cosmos webinar: The 2022 U.S. Construction Outlook. Hiring difficulties will continue According to research presented by Simonson, construction companies had 273,000 job openings in December, which was a 29% increase from December 2020. However, construction companies only hired 220,000 people in December 2021, a 10% decrease from the previous year. The implication is that construction companies would have hired more than twice as many people in December 2021 if only they had enough qualified applicants. According to a survey of AGC members, 75 percent of those surveyed said it would be as hard or harder to hire in 2022 as it was a year ago. Simonson said the struggle to hire qualified workers will continue to be a theme throughout 2022. Construction spending is increasing, but not everywhere Simonson presented research that showed spending on construction projects has increased 8% since the end of 2020. But this increase has not translated everywhere. Residential construction spending increased 23%, manufacturing sector construction spending increased 8%, private nonresidential construction spending decreased 2%, and public construction spending decreased 4%. The lodging sector saw the biggest decrease in construction spending at 32%. While we may have touched bottom on the lodging sector, Simonson said he does not see a rebound coming soon. Inflation pains Cost increases are putting the squeeze on contractors, and this is expected to continue throughout 2022. According to Simonson, inputs to new nonresidential construction from April 2020 to December 2021 increased 30.1%, while the bid price index for new nonresidential construction increased just 12.6%. The difference between these two figures represents the pain contractors are feeling from not being able to pass through all of the costs they are experiencing. Major contributors to these cost increases include steel mill products (139%), lumber and plywood (64%) and copper and brass mill shapes (63%). What else can we expect in 2022? How long can this inflationary squeeze on contractors last? Simonson said he doesn’t have a crystal ball, but he did have a rearview mirror. In previous times when the change in costs exceeded the change in bid prices, such as at the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2017, the effects lasted at least a few years. The change that started in 2021 has not lasted as long, but the peak is twice as high as it was in 2009. This means the pain is that much more intense. Long-term, slowing population growth will mean less demand for residential construction. K-12 education, online healthcare, renewable energy, and e-commerce facilities should see increased demand. Meanwhile, oil and gas pipelines, hospitals, and retail facilities should see demand continue to decrease. Watch Ken Simonson present these and the rest of his findings in our latest Construction Cosmos webinar. And stay tuned for part two of our series, where we will discuss the 2022 Construction Technology Outlook from the contractor’s perspective.

By Michael Drost on March 10, 2022Categories: Construction Are you curious as to when contractors can expect inflation to stop eating up their profits? Or how construction technology solutions can help reduce costs and improve productivity when qualified workers are increasingly hard to find? Then you’ve come to the right place. In our two-part series on the 2022 U.S. Construction Technology Outlook, we conduct a deep dive into some key industry trends, as well as provide a contractor’s view on how construction technology solutions like Autodesk Build can help companies keep a competitive edge in 2022. In part two of our series, we take a look at the 2022 construction technology outlook from the contractor’s perspective, featuring insights provided by Matthew Cordova, director of construction technology for Hermanson Company, a mechanical contractor based out of Kent, WA. Matthew talked about his experiences within the industry during a recent Construction Cosmos webinar, the 2022 U.S. Construction Outlook. Supply chain and labor shortages are real Two noteworthy industry trends we identified in part one of our series are persistent issues with supply chains and worker shortages, and these issues have real consequences for contractors. According to Cordova, disruptions in supply chains can seriously impact the ability to maintain schedules. Contractors win and lose jobs based on their ability to be on-site and perform work on set schedules, so being able to order materials or plan staging in a timely manner is paramount. Likewise, Cordova said finding qualified workers is a serious challenge, as older workers retire and younger workers fail to enter the skilled trades that contractors depend on. Education is key To combat the skilled labor shortage, Cordova recommended the industry embrace education. Construction is not the same industry that it was a few decades ago. Jumping into a skilled trade can offer numerous career paths with great benefits, whether it’s learning to fabricate metal, welding pipe, electrical schematics, or becoming skilled in technology solutions like AutoCad or Revit. Making an effort to convince younger workers that construction is an industry worth entering will go a long way to replenish the skilled workers that companies are losing to retirement and other factors. Construction technology changes the landscape Cordova said that 25 years ago, contractors would estimate and make bids off paper drawings. Oftentimes when they went in to begin construction, they would discover issues that would have to be handled via requests for information. This would force construction to stop until the issue is resolved, schedules change and change orders are processed. Fast-forward to 2022, and now architects, engineers, and contractors are working on the same integrated design project hosted on solutions like BIM 360 or Autodesk Build. This changes the landscape immensely. 3D BIM models can be leveraged for material acquisition. Companies can produce the building materials for ordering months before they’re needed to be installed. This ensures contractors can maintain schedules and meet deadlines for clients. Top-down, or bottom-up? Why not both? Cordova said that it’s important for contractors to adopt a hybrid, top-down/bottom-up approach to implementing technology solutions. Initially, Hermanson Company took a top-down approach. They met with trusted partners like U.S. CAD to identify new tech and come up with a vision for implementation. This vision needs to be explained and processed at a high level, with buy-in from stakeholders and owners that this vision will become reality and worth investing in. Then the next step is a bottom-up approach, which is arguably more important. Each discipline, whether it is the shop workers, the foreman, detailers, etc requires focused attention to ensure the solution will work as designed. These disciplines will identify problems with the tech and offer solutions that will help make implementation smoother, improve production, and ultimately increase profits.

By Michael Drost on March 7, 2022Categories: Construction, General Women in Construction Week, started in 1960 by the National Association of Women in Construction, is a week-long industry event dedicated to recognizing the invaluable contributions of women in construction, as well as generating awareness and better working space for women who desire to work in the industry. This week, we are shining the spotlight on women leaders across all sectors at U.S. CAD, from project managers to senior technical specialists to marketing, and what advice they have for women looking to build a career in construction. Andrell Laniewicz, CM-BIM, M.Arch., Senior Technical Specialist "My advice for women wanting to enter the construction industry is to have a buddy system. Go to trade school with a partner and open up your own business together!" -Andrell Laniewicz, Senior Technical Specialist Andrell Laniewicz is a Senior Technical Specialist for US CAD. After obtaining her Master’s in Architecture from the Savannah College of Art and Design, she worked as a VDC Engineer for general contractors for over 5 years. As a VDC Engineer, she worked on 3D coordination, Field Operations, 4D animations, and 5D cost models. Then she went to work on the MEP side becoming a Tier 3 Support Specialist that worked directly with Autodesk to resolve issues, develop workflows, and implement various strategies for improved project delivery. She possesses extensive knowledge and skills of construction solutions such as Autodesk® BIM 360®, Revit®, and Navisworks®, and MSUITE® FABPro™ and BIMPro™, productivity and status tracking solutions. For U.S., CAD, Andrell provides implementation, training, mentoring, technical content and support to customers. Andrell is an Autodesk Certified Instructor and Autodesk Certified Professional. What is the biggest obstacle for women trying enter or build their careers in the construction industry The biggest obstacle is acceptance. So many women are made to feel unwelcome, from NSFW material left in jobsites to flat out being ignored when they are too attractive. Jobsites can be close-knit and having support instead of being assumed to be lost can be a real game changer. What advice/tips do you have for women in the construction industry or looking to enter the construction industry? I think the best way to overcome this is to have a buddy system: go to trade school with a partner and open your own business together! As a business, terms can be part of your contract – including job site conditions. Nikki Divers, Senior Project Manager "Working in the field provides a tremendous amount of knowledge, which can transfer to other areas in the construction industry. The opportunities are endless for what the construction industry has to offer!" - Nikki Divers, Senior Project Manager Nikki Divers came to U.S. CAD with a diverse background. Her introduction to technology came while working in the ski industry, where she was a Service Manager for snowmaking equipment manufacture. In 2009 she left the ski industry to expand her knowledge in the electrical field. Ms. Divers pursued her electrical license while working full-time as an electrician. During her time as an electrician field, Ms. Divers managed a crew that laid out job sites with robotic total stations and a leading member of a Virtual Design for Construction team. At U.S. CAD, Ms. Divers started as a project manager overseeing BIM coordination projects and training subcontractors on how to use robotic total stations to take BIM to the next level in the field. Recently, Ms. Divers was promoted to lead U.S. CAD’s Project Management team. What is the biggest obstacle for women trying enter and build their careers in the construction industry? The biggest obstacle for women trying to enter the construction industry is the general lack of exposure to this being a career path. This is in part due to a lack of representation. Construction is not a line of work that women naturally migrate since they don’t see a lot of other women in this line of work. The biggest obstacle for women trying to build their careers in the construction industry is gender bias within the work culture. Since women are typically underrepresented, they often don’t receive the same opportunity as men to grow their careers. What advice/tips do you have for women in the construction industry or looking to enter the construction industry? Working in the field provides a tremendous amount of knowledge, which can transfer to other areas in the construction industry. The best advice I have for women who are in or looking to enter the construction industry is to think outside the box with the direction they can take in their careers. A few examples of career growth within the construction industry are 3D drafting for virtual design, project management, augmented or virtual reality construction technology, or service technicians for emerging technologies such as wind and solar. The opportunities are endless for what the construction industry has to offer! Marie Racewicz, Director of Marketing and Customer Success "There has never been a better time for women to enter the construction industry, thanks to the increased emphasis on gender equality and inclusion, as well as the positive effects diversity has in the workplace." -Marie Racewicz, Director of Marketing and Customer Success Marie Racewicz is Director of Marketing and Customer Success at U.S. CAD, where she leads both the marketing and customer success teams. Marie is a talented marketing executive recognized for the ability to design and deploy innovative marketing strategies to effectively drive business development initiatives and substantially increase company revenue. She joined U.S. CAD four years ago after previously serving as a senior marketing manager at Kronos, another technology firm. What are the biggest obstacles for women looking to enter into or build their careers in the construction industry? The lack of other females in the field. Female leaders and coworkers can be meaningful advocates and sources of support for one another in the workplace. Working in marketing, where women make up 60% of the workforce, has been an incredible experience for me because I have been fortunate to have many female leaders and peers who have provided mentoring and helped me achieve success. However, when compared to other professions, the proportion of women working in construction is quite low, at only 11%. As a result, some women – new or tenured – entering the field may feel isolated because they are the only female at their firm or job site, and they may lack access to female mentoring and encouragement, both of which can help shape their experiences and career progression. What advice/tips do you have for women trying to enter the construction industry? There has never been a better time for women to enter the construction industry, thanks to the increased emphasis on gender equality and inclusion, as well as the positive effects diversity has in the workplace. The future can be very bright for women drawn to construction, possessing drive, curiosity, and a solid and growing skill set. However, my advice to the next generation of female construction workers is to seek mentors who will guide and support them in their careers while also highlighting their achievements. Female construction leaders do not need to be the only mentors for women early in their careers; men, too, can serve as champions of women, which so often they do. Sunny Watts, Senior Technical Specialist "Have confidence in your skills, your knowledge, and your ability to figure it out. Because you are so much more capable and more desperately needed than you know." - Sunny Watts, Senior Technical Specialist Sunny Watts is a Senior Technical Specialist at U.S. CAD. Sunny found a passion for design in high school while learning about Interior Design and Web Building and discovered Computer Aided Drafting while pursuing her degree in Interior Design at LDS Business College. After Graduation she continued to pursue her education in drafting and design, leading her to BIM and a career using Revit for electrical engineering. After a short break to teach English in Taiwan, Miss Watts joined a team to develop virtual design methods for electrical construction, discovering different ways to leverage building information from construction models. At U.S. CAD, she supports the production of design models, construction prefabrication planning, and spatial coordination for various trades. She specializes in Autodesk® Revit®, BIM 360®, and PlanGrid® and conducts high-level and in-depth training sessions for clients. Sunny is an Autodesk Certified Professional, Autodesk Certified Instructor, Bluebeam® Certified Consultant, and a Bluebeam Certified Instructor. What are the biggest obstacles for women trying to enter or build their careers in the construction industry? Our biggest challenges still tend to be cultural. We don’t often see women as being in construction, in fact when we think of the construction industry, we tend to think of the characteristics typical to men… and so that is still the most prolific attitude toward and within in the construction industry. I have found however is that there is a broad spectrum of experience and skill needed for construction projects to be successful, (especially within the realm of technology), and there is a great need for the organization, understanding, additional points of view, and possible solutions that women bring to the table. What advice/tips do you have for women in the construction industry or looking to enter the construction industry? There are going to be moments when you second guess yourself, and honestly questioning if you are giving your best can be a good thing, and keep you working to improve. But I’m the mist of that, please have confidence in your skills, your knowledge, and your ability to figure it out. Because you are so much more capable and more desperately needed than you know.

Less than 20 years ago, Building Information Modelling or BIM was an upcoming trend almost no one in the AEC industry had even heard of. But today, BIM is now the cornerstone of design, engineering, and construction. As we have entered another decade, what are the up-and-coming industry trends that we should have on our radars? Let’s explore the top 3 AEC Trends to look out for in the Next Decade.